ALISON ELLIOTT: ARTIST INTERVIEW

Last October Sir Peter Blake, Anthony Green RA and Nicholas Usherwood presented Alison Elliott with the Curwen Gallery Prize for Figurative Painting. 

Her prize was representation by Curwen Gallery and a solo exhibition with the gallery this July.

We met her in her studio to discuss the new work…

Alison Elliott with Lord of Men I

Curwen Gallery: In the early stages of the competition we were very impressed by the impeccable attention to detail in your paintings.

I think it was this level of detail that set you apart from the other artists in the competition and ultimately won you the prize.Was it a conscious decision to work in such minute detail?

Fledalji, Fledalji,, oil on canvas, 224 x 183cm

 Alison Elliott:  My work has always been about detail. I want each subject to come to life…so much so that one can almost feel them breathing, rather like a ‘tableau vivant’. The beauty of my paintings is achieving this.

Curwen Gallery: I remember you saying that you considered yourself to be largely self-taught. How did you learn the techniques that you use in your current work?

Alison Elliott: I am completely self-taught. I learnt from reading and experimenting with different techniques and supports until I began to feel comfortable with what I was doing. It’s taken me years to get to the stage I am at now and I still feel constantly challenged by the medium.

Boy, 127 x 203cm, oil on canvas
£19,995

I consider myself as a classical artist. I prefer to use the more traditional techniques. I start by putting an imprimatura / stain on each canvas. I then spend a lot of time placing the subject on the canvas in pencil, before I consider picking up a brush. [3]
I then slowly build up layers of oil to form the image and finish it with a traditional glazing technique.

I have always used Old Holland oil paints, bought from Russell and Chapple, a traditional company now based on Store Street, close to Curwen Gallery. They always make my canvases from double oil primed French linen. It’s not the cheapest canvas to buy but it’s the best for my work. It’s the most wonderful surface to work on.

Curwen Gallery: How long does it take to make your larger works? For instance Fledalji (above) what kind of time scale are we talking about for you to make a painting of that size?

Alison Elliott: My large portraits take approximately three to six months. My rearing horse ‘Fledalji’ took a bit longer. I usually work on two paintings at a time to allow for drying time as well as to remain focused and keep a fresh eye on them.

Curwen Gallery:  There are no background features around each animal in your work, what was it that made you decide to paint in this way?

Alison's Studio in Cambridge with Lord of Men II

Alison Elliott: Each blank canvas provides that integral space for each subject to project itself from. I want the main focus to be on my subject and I don’t feel the need to distract from this by adding anything else. Less is more.

I work in a similar way to [the photographer] Tim Flachs. He strips the picture down to just the bare essentials. The focus on the subject is emphasised by “cutting it out” from its context. I feel that it makes them more striking and contemporary.

Curwen Gallery:  How much did your time at Winchester and Newcastle Polytechnic influence your work?

Alison Elliott: I did my Art Foundation at Winchester. I developed a wide range of skills during this period. It was the first time I’d experienced life-drawing, which is an incredibly important discipline to learn. I also did my first photographic work there, which is still an essential part of my practice.

Pug, oil on canvas, 110 x 110cm
£12,500

I did my BA in Fashion at Newcastle Polytechnic. I was one of the few students that could draw and so my illustration skills developed a lot during that period. Even then though, I never stopped sketching animals.

 I remember once I had an interview with [fashion designer] Thierry Mugler’s assistant. In my press book I had several sketches and montages which featured illustrations of pug dogs….she thought the dogs were incredible!

Curwen Gallery:  What has been your career trajectory? Which exhibitions and opportunities do you think have particularly helped you?

Alison Elliott: My first ever exhibition was in the home of [French Playwright and Actor] Moliére in Pèzenas, France. That was a collection of pen and ink illustrations of the medieval buildings reviewed by the Midi Libre. I’ve also been regularly showing with the Society of Equestrian Artists at the Mall Galleries and at Newmarket Racecourse. 

Frank Nichols, oil on board,10 x 13cm
£650

Some time ago I sold my first horse portrait to Royalty in the Middle East. My first miniature commission was a dog for the Earl of Cadogan, as a gift from the Countess.

More recently I have been showing a selection of works at the Sloane Club in Chelsea and then, of course the Curwen Gallery Painting Prize, which I was thrilled to win last October.

Hernando, oil on canvas, 152 x 107cm
£19,995

Curwen Gallery: Do you consider yourself to be a portrait artist? Many of these works are of very specific animals, such as Visindar and Lord of Men, but some seem more universal, such as Boy or Fledalji. Is the history and character of each animal important to you?

Alison Elliott: Yes, I do consider myself to be a portrait artist. I would say that most of my paintings are very specific to the subject. Boy was actually a six month old giraffe that I photographed in South Australia.  It is part of my creative process to identify the animal and to communicate the ideas and subjects which reflect their character.

Curwen Gallery:  What is it about horses as a subject matter which so captures your imagination? They constitute around half of the whole body of work that we are showing   this July. Your level of interest must show more than just a love of their appearance.

Alison Elliott: I believe the horse as a subject is one of the hardest animals to paint and I challenged myself many years ago to see if I could. I think that I have now proved to myself that I can, perhaps that is why I’m currently working on developing my paintings of large dogs!

Molly, oil on board,10 x 13cm
£650

Two years ago I began focusing on the Arabian Horse as a breed and I selected Stivalery BJ to be my first painting. I set up a photoshoot where she was based. I hung a 12 foot canvas backdrop and photographed her standing as a show Arabian should stand.   I photograph the dogs I paint in the same way, although they come to the studio.

Curwen Gallery: The scale of your work is obviously very important to you as you paint in both life-size and miniature. Is this to do with visual impact or is it more to do with creating an accurate portrait of the animals that are your subject?

Visindar, oil on canvas,122 x 193cm
£19,995

Alison Elliott: It is a completely subconscious decision, as every subject will dictate their finished size on the canvas. I have been experimenting with size and scale. Last year I began painting my first miniatures and now I’m beginning a collection of larger than life dog portraits. Whatever size they are I still want to recreate their every detail and bring them to life!

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Curwen Gallery is currently holding a solo exhibition of Alison Elliott's new paintings.

For more information see: http://www.curwengallery.co.uk/gallery/elliott15/title.htm